


Spirit of Nine

by Cenonn



Category: Bleach, Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-14 11:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21014690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cenonn/pseuds/Cenonn
Summary: Umi Sonoda was a normal girl. WASWhen she started her second year in high school, she began seeing spirits. And after a few days, she and her friends were attacked by an evil spirit. In order to save her friends, a Shinigami attempted to lend some of his powers to temporarily transform her into a Shinigami. But Umi absorbed all of it instead and managed to defeat the monster.Now being a full-fledged Shinigami, she learns that the world she lives in was full of dangerous spirits and it was her job to protect the innocents from them.And she has unexpected allies to help her.





	1. Death & Sea

It was happening ever since my second year in high school began. At the same utility pole I pass by every day, I could see a young boy with a chain on his chest. Normally, I wouldn’t mind such a thing but my friends couldn’t see that boy.

He was there all day every day. Whether it rained or not, the boy would just blankly stare at the space in front of him while people passed by. There were times I wanted to talk to him but I was afraid of what might happen.

“Umi. Good morning”, Kotori greeted me.

“Good morning”, I greeted back.

“Honoka said she’ll be late so we should go on ahead”, she told me.

“Again? It’s still the first week of school and she’s already like this?” I huffed.

We walked towards Otonokizaka, our school. It was an old school that didn’t stand out much in this ever-changing city. Times were now changing as old things were getting replaced with new ones. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, our school would be closed down.

Cherry blossoms danced in the air as we walked to our school. A petal landed on my palm and I smiled while wondering what was in store for me this year.

“What was that?” I asked when I heard a loud sound that was almost like a howl.

“I didn’t hear anything”, Kotori answered.

That was weird. I was certain I heard something.

I decided to disregard it despite having a bad feeling and continued walking.

We soon arrived at Otonokizaka. It was a massive school building with east and west wings. The symbol of our school, which was a cherry blossom with five petals, was on the center building.

“Sonoda… Have you heard?” a third-year student approached me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Sakakibara died yesterday”, she told me.

Sakakibara was our former captain in the archery club. She was a kind leader who took pride in her archery skills. We would often have friendly matches with each other and the others were inspired by us which lead to having all of us trying to further improve our skills. She already graduated but she promised to visit when she gets the chance.

“What happened?” I asked.

“It was a car accident. Her father and mother survived but she was unlucky”, she answered.

I became silent. Sakakibara was one of the people I respect.

“I see… I pray that she will find peace”, I said.

The student went away and I walked towards our classroom. Sakakibara’s death made my day gloomy. I sat on my seat and sighed. It was hard to accept it but I had no choice. She and I were rivals but were on good terms with each other.

After a while, Honoka arrived.

“Hey there! Sorry I’m late!” she cheerfully apologized.

She looked at me and asked, “Did something happen?”

“Why do you ask?” I asked back.

“Normally, you would scold me for waking up late. But today, you look down”, she answered.

I told her about what happened.

“I see. It’s okay to be sad about it, Umi. Just remember, Kotori and I are here if you want to talk”, Honoka said and I was actually surprised by her response.

“Where did you learn how to console people?” I asked.

“I happened to read it online”, she answered.

Her carefree response made me smile a bit. Honoka always knew how to cheer people up whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The teacher arrived and classes started. I was taking down notes when I heard another howl.

“Is something wrong, Miss Sonoda?” the teacher asked when I instinctively stood up.

“N-Nothing. I apologize for the interruption”, I said.

Once again, I was the only one who heard the sound. Kotori looked at me worriedly while Honoka was trying hard not to doze off. Deciding to ignore it once again, I continued taking down notes.

The day went by and classes were over. Sakakibara’s death slipped from my mind when I went to the archery range. Everyone was taking a break from the club since club activities haven’t officially started yet. That was why I was all alone.

I took a deep breath and aimed at the target. After a few seconds, I released the arrow and it landed right at the center mark.

“As usual, Umi’s form is excellent”, a voice that shouldn’t exist said.

My mind knew who that voice belonged to. Despite my mind telling not to look, I still turned my head.

And at the corner of the archery range, I saw Sakakibara.

“IT APPEARED!!!!” I screamed and fell on my butt.

“Waaahhhh!!” she also screamed and fell in the same manner.

“S-Sakakibara??” I hoped that I was imagining things.

“Sonoda? You can see me?” she asked.

I nodded. After taking a deep breath, I tried to analyze the situation. Sakakibara, who supposedly died yesterday, was right in front of me. That only meant one thing.

“Are… Are you a ghost?” I asked.

“I did die yesterday. I guess I am”, she answered.

There was a chain on her chest which was connected to the wall of the room.

“What is that?” I asked.

“I don’t know”, she answered.

I was processing a lot of things in my mind. Conversing with a ghost was not on the things I thought that was possible but there I was, conversing with the dead Sakakibara. Another question came to my mind. How come I just started to see ghosts?

“Wait… If you’re here, then you must have regrets”, I said.

“I thought of that too. Maybe I can’t move on because I missed the winning shot in our last tournament. That’s why I’m tied to this place”, she casually replied.

The thought of having a ghost haunting our school’s archery range was not good for my health.

“Do you have any wish to move on?” I asked.

“If I could do it, then I would’ve done it already. I can’t even leave this spot because of this chain”, she answered.

I tried thinking of ways to make her move on but I wasn’t an expert in the occult.

“There’s no need to overthink things for me. Maybe I’m just unlucky”, she tried to comfort me.

Then silently as a cat, a man in a black kimono walked past me. He had black hair and serene blue eyes. It took me some time to notice that he had katana tied to his obi sash. He grabbed his katana and without unsheathing it, he pressed its hilt to Sakakibara’s forehead.

“What the…” Sakakibara said and then a glowing emblem was imprinted on her forehead. The ground underneath her became a pool of blue light as she slowly sank.

I couldn’t process what just happened. One moment, I was conversing with the dead Sakakibara and immediately after that, she sank into the ground. The man was about to leave so I gathered courage and blocked his path.

“Who are you? What have you done to Sakakibara?” I asked while trying my best to look intimidating.

“Oh… You too?” he approached me and I didn’t react in time.

He pressed the hilt of his katana to my forehead. I thought I was going to sink into the ground like what happened to Sakakibara so I closed my eyes and hoped it would be painless. However, nothing happened.

“Wait… What?” he was the one who got confused.

He did it again but like last time, nothing happened.

“That’s weird… Wait… You don’t have a chain. What kind of Plus are you?” he asked me.

I was the one who was supposed to be confused. He asked whether I could see him so he must be some kind of ghost.

The man took out a smartphone and began touching its screen. I stood there waiting for an explanation.

“Wait… What?!” he was surprised by whatever he read on his phone.

He turned his attention towards me and cleared his throat.

“Excuse me but… are you a human?” he asked.

“I guess so”, I answered.

He sighed.

“It’s best if I do this”, he said and took out a device. He pressed a button and a bird’s head popped out and produced a puff of smoke. I became dizzy and my consciousness faded.

When I woke up, I was in the school’s clinic.

“You’re finally awake. I was worried!” Kotori, who was sitting beside the bed, told me.

“It’s a good thing that someone found you unconscious. Who knows what could’ve happened?” Honoka added.

I passed out? What happened before I passed out? I was sure that I was practicing archery and then…

That’s right! I was talking to an underclassman who confessed to me. When she left, I got dizzy because of fatigue and when I sat down, I fell asleep.

Somehow, that felt off.

“Sakakibara…” I muttered.

“Sakakibara? What about her?” Kotori asked.

“O-Oh. Nothing… Why did I say her name?” Honoka and Kotori looked wooried.

“Umi, are you sure you’re okay?” Honoka asked me.

“Yes. I’m fine. I even feel refreshed”, I answered.

“Is the archery range a good spot to sleep? I would want to try sleeping there”, Honoka jokingly said.

“You won’t do such a thing”, I shot down her idea.

The three of us giggled and decided to go home. Honoka and Kotori was accompanying me on my way home just to make sure that I was okay despite me telling them to not worry.

I passed by the utility pole and noticed something strange.

“What’s wrong, Umi?” Honoka asked when I suddenly stopped.

The boy who was supposed to be near the pole was gone. I scanned the area but he was nowhere to be found.

“Umi?” Kotori worriedly called out my name. 

“It’s… It’s nothing”, I said and felt uneasy.

We arrived at my house and I brought some sweets to the living room. As usual, Honoka and Kotori would munch on the sweets while I drank tea.

“Where’s your mom and dad?” Honoka asked.

“Father and some of his students went to participate a contest in another city. Mother said she’ll be helping her friend’s performance so she’ll be back tomorrow”, I answered.

“I have an idea!!” Honoka shouted.

It was already evening when they returned with their bags. Honoka and Kotori were too worried to leave me alone for the night.

“You don’t have to worry that much”, I told them.

“It’s more fun this way. Plus, it’s been a long time since our last sleepover”, Kotori said.

After finishing dinner and taking a bath, I prepared my room. I placed three futons on the floor and just when I was finished, I heard that howl again. But this time, it was accompanied by Kotori’s scream and a crash.

I ran downstairs and found Kotori lying on the floor with a huge wound on her back. There was a huge hole on our wall and the things in the living room were scattered.

“U…mi…” my heart was relieved to know that Kotori was still alive.

“Kotori! What happened?!” I asked.

“R..un…” she said and didn’t move.

My feet went cold. I wanted to do a first aid but then I heard the same howl. It dawned to me that Honoka was nowhere to be seen so I rushed outside only to see Honoka lying on the ground. Blood flowed from her head while she was unconscious. But that wasn’t what got my attention.

Underneath the moonlight, I saw a monster around 3 meters in height. It had bulging arms, a huge white head, and a gaping hole on its chest. The monster saw me and I froze.

“Get away from here!” a man in a black kimono shouted.

That was when I remembered everything that happened in the archery range.

“You’re the man from this afternoon!” I recalled.

“Wait… YOU’RE that human from this afternoon… This can’t be a coincidence”, he muttered.

“Look out!!” I warned him but it was too late.

The monster hit him and sent him flying towards a pole. I could’ve sworn I heard something snap. The monster looked at Honoka and I feared for my friend’s life.

I ran inside my house and picked up a bow and arrow. When I got back at the scene, the monster was already holding Honoka and was about to eat her.

“Hey! Look over here!” I taunted.

The monster looked at me and I notched an arrow.

“Don’t do it!” the man shouted but I released the arrow.

It struck the monster’s eye causing it to scream in pain. The good thing was that it released Honoka. The bad thing was that it went after me. I closed my eyes and braced myself for whatever pain that may come but nothing happened.

I opened my eyes and saw the man stopping the monster by allowing it to bite him instead.

“You fool. Humans are not allowed to take part in a battle between a Shinigami and a Hollow”, he scolded me.

The man stabbed the monster and grabbed its tongue with his other hand.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws", he chanted.

“Hado No. 33! Sokatsui!” blue flames came out of his hand and burned the monster from the inside.

However, it wasn’t enough. All it did was make the monster back away and suffer from the burns for a few moments.

“Tch. I fought too much this day, I’m spent. I can’t even use my Shikai”, he said.

Wait…

“You’re giving up?” I asked him.

“Yeah. It’ll only be a moment before the flames die down and all of us gets eaten”, he answered.

No way…

“Is there another way?” I asked.

“There is. But it’s risky. It involves you killing the Hollow and it has a high chance of killing you before you even try that”, he told me.

“Me? Kill that thing?” I asked. 

“I know. The thought of turning you into a Shinigami and making you fight that thing is foolish”, he said.

“Tell me how”, I told him.

“What? Are you insane? There’s a really low chance of you turning into a Shinigami right here and now! You might die!” he reprimanded me.

“If there’s a chance of us surviving, I’ll take the risk! I will not allow my friends to die here! Not on my watch!” I shouted.

The man had a puzzled look on his face and sighed. He pointed his katana at me.

“Stab this sword into your chest. I will give you some of my reiatsu. Just enough to temporarily turn you into a Shinigami. That way, you can kill that thing”, he said.

“I… just have to stab myself?” I looked at the sharp katana.

“It’s very risky. There’s a huge chance your soul will be incinerated by the sudden increase in reiatsu. Will you still do it?” he asked.

I grabbed the katana and placed its tip at my chest.

“Let’s do this! Shinigami”, I tried to make a brave face despite knowing that I might die.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Umi Sonoda”, I answered.

“Then, Umi Sonoda, accept my power!” he stabbed me with his sword.

A flash of light emitted from the katana. Like a huge wave that hit a rock, power flowed through my entire body. I felt a tingling sensation as I became more aware of my surroundings.

When the light faded, I saw a blue-haired girl lying on the ground. It took me seconds to realize that the girl was me. I looked at my hand and knew that I was now a different entity.

The monster looked at me dumbfounded. It was probably confused since I was now wearing a black kimono with a katana on my obi sash.

It charged at me and in a split second, its arm was sliced off.

“That’s for hurting Honoka!” I shouted.

I cut off its right leg.

“That’s for hurting Kotori!”

The monster was now off-balance. Taking the chance, I jumped high.

“And this is for thinking that you can get away with it!” I slashed its mask.

It released a deafening howl before it disappeared.

With the danger gone, my knees felt weak and I fainted.


	2. Responsibility

“Umi…” a voice called.

I was trying to remain asleep but that voice brought me out of my slumber.

“Good morning! It’s rare to see you be the one who wakes up last”, a girl with ginger hair said.

Seeing Honoka’s smile first thing in the morning made my drowsiness go away. Then I remembered what happened last night.

“Honoka! Are you okay? What about your wounds?!” I asked worriedly.

“Wounds? Was I injured?” she asked.

Before I could ask more questions, Kotori entered the room.

“Breakfast is ready”, she told us.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Last night, both of them were injured but now, they looked healthier than before. It was then I remembered about the hole in the house. The neighbors must be wondering what caused it but when I ran downstairs, the hole was fixed.

“Umi? Are you okay?” Kotori asked.

“Y-Yeah”, I answered.

Their injuries, the hole, and the mess in the living room disappeared as if nothing happened.

“This might sound like a weird question but what happened last night?” I asked.

Honoka and Kotori looked at each other with confused expressions.

“We ate dinner and went to sleep after taking a bath. Today is a school day after all”, Kotori answered.

My memories were different from theirs. Last night, a monster attacked and almost killed us. If I didn’t become a Shinigami, all of us would’ve been eaten.

“Umi?” Honoka worriedly called my name.

“It’s… It’s nothing”, I assured her.

I had no idea on what was happening to me. Did I perhaps dream everything? How come I don’t remember what Kotori told me? There were too many questions that I couldn’t answer.

“Let’s eat”, Kotori suggested.

“Yay! Food!” Honoka rejoiced and went to the dining room.

After eating, we went to our school.

“Good morning~!” Honoka greeted everyone in the classroom.

No one replied to her greeting as everyone were busy talking to each other.

“Is something going on?” Kotori asked.

Fumiko approached the trio.

“Did you hear? A new teacher is coming to our school!” she told us.

“That explains the commotion”, I commented.

“Do you know what she’s like?” Honoka asked.

“The new teacher is not a woman but a man! I heard he is a fresh graduate”, Hideko answered.

“A young male teacher in an all-girls’ school? Why would mom allow that?” Kotori asked.

She was right. A male teacher thrown into an all-girls’ school was out of the question. Especially since there were girls here who had no idea how to act around men. Also, some of them are very curious and might do something that will damage the school’s reputation.

“Everyone. Sit down. Classes are starting”, the teacher arrived and everyone went to their seats.

“I know you already heard but there’s a new teacher here”, she said and everyone gleamed with expectation.

Even Kotori was a bit excited. For me, a male teacher was preposterous. An all-girls’ school was supposed to be a safe haven for maidens. There might even be some of us who were afraid or uncomfortable around men. Not that I was one of those people or anything…

“Come on in”, the teacher said.

It was like a nightmare came to life. A man with black hair and blue eyes entered the room. My doubts on whether the events that happened last night were true or not were confirmed. The fact that he was right there in front of me proved that I fought a monster and survived.

“Hello everyone. My name is Furimu Shiba and my job is to teach you History. I might be a rookie teacher but I’ll try my best”, he introduced himself.

“You!” I instinctively shouted.

Everyone’s attention went towards me.

“Umi? Do you know him?” Honoka asked.

Before I could say anything, Furimu clapped his hand.

“Umi and I used to play a lot when we’re little”, he lied.

Not good.

“I don’t recall anyone named Furimu who played with us, right Honoka?” Kotori asked her.

“Yeah. Umi was too shy to even play with anyone before we approached her”, Honoka added.

Why did he use that kind of backstory when I already had two childhood friends? I saw Furimu’s smile and sensed nervousness as if he was asking for help.

“We did play a lot whenever I went to mother’s hometown”, even though it felt bad to lie to my friends, I played along.

“Now now. Let’s save the reunion for later, Umi. For the rest of you guys, feel free to ask me any questions”, he changed the topic.

“Sensei! How old are you?” a girl raised her hand.

“Around 20 years old”

“What are your hobbies?” another girl asked.

“I like practicing kendo and martial arts during my free time”

“Sensei! Are you single?” a girl finally asked the critical question.

“Yes”, he answered and the girls squealed.

“Everyone! You should know better than to try anything stupid”, our teacher reminded them but the students were too busy talking to each other.

“It’s okay ma’am. I wouldn’t be here if I was deemed dangerous to them”, Furimu assured her.

“I know that you won’t make any advances. But I’m not sure about them”, she said.

“Sensei! Do you have any favorite food?”

“Sensei! Which do you prefer? Dogs or cats?”

“Sensei! What is your ideal girlfriend?”

The girls squealed at the last question. What was going on with Director Minami’s mind when she hired him?

Our teacher made him go away and started homeroom. Time passed and it was already lunch time. Honoka, Kotori, and I went to the courtyard and sat down to eat.

Furimu Shiba… He claimed to be a Shinigami. When that monster attacked us, I temporarily turned into one when he injected his ‘reiatsu’ or something to me and defeated it.

Now that I thought about it, why did he become a teacher here? If he wanted to check on us after that battle, he didn’t have to go through so much trouble.

“Umi?” Kotori called my name.

The two of them looked at me worriedly.

“You’re spacing out recently. Are you sure you’re okay?” Honoka asked.

“I’m fine”, I told them but they didn’t seem to believe me.

“The new teacher looks kind of cool isn’t he?” Kotori asked.

“I don’t know about that. But he looks like a nice guy”, Honoka replied.

“Whatever his goal is, I hope that it’s not detrimental to us”, I muttered.

Honoka and Kotori went silent.

“Are you two really friends?” Kotori asked.

“Y-Yes”, I lied once again.

“How come you never told us about him?” Honoka asked.

“It’s because I never thought of bringing it up to you”, I answered.

They looked like they wanted me to tell more but I actually had nothing else to say. I just met him yesterday.

“How many bread have you eaten this hour, Honoka?” I changed the topic.

“Just three”, she answered.

“Three?? You’re going to get fat”, I warned her.

“I guess so…” she replied.

We spent our lunch time chatting and then went back to class.

Time passed and school was over.

“Umi! We’re going home”, Honoka said as Kotori took her bag.

“Go on ahead. I still have business to attend to”, I told her.

The two of them left and I went to the teachers’ lounge.

“Is Shiba-sensei here?” I asked.

“Oh. Umi. Just in time, follow me”, Furimu said and walked.

I followed him all the way to the back of the school.

“This should be a good spot. I’m guessing you have a lot of questions”, he started the conversation.

He was right. There were too many questions that I don’t even know where to start.

“Let’s begin with the basics. I was a Shinigami. I balance the souls by sending spirits to the other side”, he said.

“Shinigami? Spirits?” I asked.

“Yes. There are two kinds of spirits: the Plus and the Hollows. The Plus are good spirits which are harmless. We send them off to Soul Society. Hollows are evil spirits that attack Pluses and sometimes humans. It’s our job to hunt them”, he explained.

“So the monster I fought was a Hollow?” I asked and he nodded.

I still had questions about what is Soul Society or why the Hollow attacked us but before that, I had a more important question to ask.

“Why are you in my school?”

“It’s better if I show you”, he said and put on a glove with a skull mark.

He pushed my head with his palm.

“What are you do…ing?” I saw a strange sight.

A blue-haired girl wearing our school’s uniform was lying on the ground. The weird part was that the girl was me.

“Take a look at yourself”, Furimu told me.

I was wearing a black kimono with a katana tied to an obi sash.

“That’s a Shihakushou. It’s the garment a Shinigami wears”, he said.

“Why do I have this? I thought I was just a temporary Shinigami”, I asked.

“Well… It was supposed to be like that but for some reason, you absorbed all of my powers”, he answered.

“Wait. ALL of your powers? Then that means…”

“Yes. You’re a full-fledged Shinigami. And with that, I can’t do my job being powerless and all”, he continued.

I pinched myself but I confirmed that I wasn’t dreaming,

“And now, here’s the bad news. I am no longer a Shinigami so I can’t do my job anymore”, he said.

“And what’s your job?” I ased.

Before he could answer, his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and looked at its screen.

“It’s better if I show you”, he said and walked.

I followed him and we reached an empty lot. He was silent for a few minutes.

“What are we doing here?” I asked just to break the silence.

“I told you before. A Shinigami’s job is to guide souls. We send Pluses to Soul Society and we hunt down Hollows”, he told me.

We then heard a bone-chilling howl.

“It’s here”, he said.

A girl around nine years old was running away from an eight-legged monster. The monster had a white mask and had a hole in its chest.

“Help!!” the girl cried.

I was about to jump in when Furimu blocked me.

“Here’s my question. Normally, it’s my job to save that girl but right now, I’m powerless. And there’s you who took my powers”, he said.

“Why are you in my way? Move!” I shouted but his eyes were dead serious.

“Shinigamis must always be fair. They don’t save people just because they happened to be nearby. Shinigamis guide all the souls. You have the power of a Shinigami but you aren’t required to be one. If you save the girl, you are hereby declaring to the world that you will be one of its protectors. Do you have the resolve to bear that burden?” he asked.

He was right. I need to be fair. Also, the thought of fighting another monster made my hands shake. If I were to become a Shinigami, I would have to fight many more like them. I couldn’t move because of my indecisiveness.

The girl tripped and the monster drew closer. Her teary eyes met with mine.

“Help…” she pleaded.

Before I knew it, I sliced off one of the monster’s legs.

Despite being afraid and knowing that I took on a huge responsibility, I stood between the monster and the girl.

“It’s alright. I’m here”, I assured her.

The monster howled and charged at me. I was glad that my weapon was a katana. With years of kendo training engraved in my body, I effortlessly cut off the monster’s remaining legs.

It was on the ground and I stabbed its head. The monster disappeared.

“Are you okay?” I asked the girl.

“Yes. Thank you”, she answered.

Furimu approached us.

“Do a Konso on her”, he instructed.

“What?” I asked.

“A Konso is a ritual that sends spirits to Soul Society. You press the hilt of your Zanpakuto to the forehead of the spirit and she’ll be on her way”, he explained.

I looked at the girl and she smiled.

“Do you want to move on?” I asked her.

“Yes”, she answered.

I did what Furimu told me and the girl sank into a pool of blue light.

“I’m a Shinigami now…” I muttered.

“Yep. You’re this city’s protector”, he replied.

“Can I change my outfit? I would stand out if I wore this when we’re in public”, she asked.

He let out a small laugh.

“Don’t worry about that. Shinigami’s are still spirits. They can’t be seen by normal people”, he told me.

Wait a minute.

“So I’m just a spirit now?” I asked.

“Yep”, he answered.

I had a bad feeling.

“What about my physical body?”

“……”

He ran.

“You!!! How could you forget such an important detail?!!” I angrily asked as I chased him.

“SORRY!!!” he apologized.


End file.
